Backyard and Beyond

Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.

As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”

Beyond the Feathers

I usually only use my own photography here, but this image was too impressive to not share. It’s an X-ray of a young Peregrine falcon male who was caught up in some electrical wires on Nantucket recently and sent to the Humane Society/Fund for Animals’ Cape Wildlife Center (and on Facebook) for rehabilitation. There was no internal damage and the bird was expected to be released soon. Click on the image to getter a bigger view. Note the mighty keel of the breastbone (you may analogize a chicken here, turned upside down when roasted), to which the powerful muscles of the wings are attached.

More on Peregrines, who nest throughout the city and on every bridge across the Hudson. A good place to see them here in Brooklyn is the FDNY communications tower at Washington Ave. and Empire Blvd, where they regularly perch. The best views of the tower are from within the Botanic Garden.

mthew

, ,

3 responses to “Beyond the Feathers”

  1. myra hope

    I love how the x-ray reveals the feathers to be this energetic flaring off of his wings and tail

    Reply
    1. mthew

      And check out those talons!

      Reply
  2. Kevin Dann

    Matthew,

    This morning a little after dawn, I was atop One Grand Army Plaza to do some morning eurythmy, and happened to glance over at the tower you mentioned. Having read your post, I thought I would pay more attention to it next time I was in the Botanical Garden. . . Then, about an hour ago, lo & behold! I happened to glance out the window just as a peregrine was plummeting – his talons stretched out in front of him – straight down in front of the building, after some pigeons. He missed, and pulled out of the dive to land in a sycamore tree above the Grand Army Plaza fountain. . . wild! I used to have to hike for an hour or more in Vermont to go look for peregrines near Deer Leap in Bristol, and never ever came nearly as close as this one was.

    Seemed like one more illustration of Thoreau’s old adage that we find what we expect. No sooner had you alerted me to the potential to see a peregrine hereabouts, and it appeared! Many thanks for helping to conjure it.

    Yours,
    Kevin

    Reply

Leave a comment